Who's fault is it?

So, I have a 16:9 TV, and a widescreen DVD I want to watch.

I seem to spend absurd amounts of time fiddling with the TVs display mode to
find the proper zoom or stretch or whatever setting that makes the picture
look right.

I have heard tales that this problem is sometimes handled automagically by
the hardware (which it obviously should be - the TV knows about its display
and you'd think the DVD would know how it was authored).

Which piece of hardware isn't smart enough?

Does the TV need to support some feature mine doesn't have? (And what's
the name of the feature so I'll look for it the next time I get a new TV?)

Does the DVD player need to support this feature? (Same question for
new DVD player).

Do they both have to cooperate?

Just curious...
--
== The *Best* political site URL:http://www.vote-smart.org/ ==+
email: icbm: Delray Beach, FL |
URL:http://home.att.net/~Tom.Horsley Free Software and Politics ==+

Thomas A. Horsley wrote:
So, I have a 16:9 TV, and a widescreen DVD I want to watch.

I seem to spend absurd amounts of time fiddling with the TVs display mode to
find the proper zoom or stretch or whatever setting that makes the picture
look right.

I have heard tales that this problem is sometimes handled automagically by
the hardware (which it obviously should be - the TV knows about its display
and you'd think the DVD would know how it was authored).

Which piece of hardware isn't smart enough?

Does the TV need to support some feature mine doesn't have? (And what's
the name of the feature so I'll look for it the next time I get a new TV?)

Does the DVD player need to support this feature? (Same question for
new DVD player).

Do they both have to cooperate?

Just curious...
--

== The *Best* political site URL:http://www.vote-smart.org/ ==+

email: icbm: Delray Beach, FL |
URL:http://home.att.net/~Tom.Horsley Free Software and Politics ==+
Hi,
What is your TV and DVD player? How are they hooked up?

In article , says...
So, I have a 16:9 TV, and a widescreen DVD I want to watch.

I seem to spend absurd amounts of time fiddling with the TVs display mode to
find the proper zoom or stretch or whatever setting that makes the picture
look right.

I have heard tales that this problem is sometimes handled automagically by
the hardware (which it obviously should be - the TV knows about its display
and you'd think the DVD would know how it was authored).

Which piece of hardware isn't smart enough?

Actually, it's probably your fault! On most DVD players there is a setup
menu where you specify the type of TV the DVD player is connected to
(check the manual). In your case you want to set this to 16:9. Then
widescreen DVDs should automatically display correctly.

However, keep in mind that some widescreen DVD aspect ratios (i.e.
2.35:1) are not a perfect match for a 16:9 TV and will still display in
a letter boxed format. Widescreen DVDs with a 1.85:1 ratio will display
using the full screen.

On most DVD players there is a setup
menu where you specify the type of TV the DVD player is connected to
(check the manual). In your case you want to set this to 16:9. Then
widescreen DVDs should automatically display correctly.

It is set to 16:9, but the TV (Sharp Aquos) still has something like four
different display modes it can operate in, and it definitely doesn't
automatically switch to the right one :-).
--
== The *Best* political site URL:http://www.vote-smart.org/ ==+
email: icbm: Delray Beach, FL |
URL:http://home.att.net/~Tom.Horsley Free Software and Politics ==+

Thomas A. Horsley wrote:
On most DVD players there is a setup
menu where you specify the type of TV the DVD player is connected to
(check the manual). In your case you want to set this to 16:9. Then
widescreen DVDs should automatically display correctly.

It is set to 16:9, but the TV (Sharp Aquos) still has something like four
different display modes it can operate in, and it definitely doesn't
automatically switch to the right one :-).
== The *Best* political site URL:http://www.vote-smart.org/ ==+
email: icbm: Delray Beach, FL |
URL:http://home.att.net/~Tom.Horsley Free Software and Politics ==+

You didn't say what type of connection there is between your TV and DVD player.
Let's assume the 3 component connection. And let's assume that this is a
dedicated connection to your 16x9 TV. You should be able via the menu to set
that input to "wide" and leave it there. The DVD player knowing that you have a
16x9 TV should display properly for anamorphic DVDs. If your watching a DVD that
is NOT anamorphic but only letterboxed that DVD will display with the black
borders. That is when you have to fiddle with zoom and etc. if you want to fill
the screen vertically. This is like a standard def TV show that is letterboxed.

"Thomas A. Horsley" wrote in message
...
On most DVD players there is a setup
menu where you specify the type of TV the DVD player is connected to
(check the manual). In your case you want to set this to 16:9. Then
widescreen DVDs should automatically display correctly.

It is set to 16:9, but the TV (Sharp Aquos) still has something like four
different display modes it can operate in, and it definitely doesn't
automatically switch to the right one :-).
--
Yes and no. My Sharp works fine when set to Smart Stretch. It can't do
anything to a 16:9 picture; so, it just ignores the Smart Stretch option
when watching an HD source. 4:3 analog, 4:3 digital, and 16:9 all come in
full screen. Only thing is that when an HD station is transmitting a 4:3
program embedded in a 16:9 raster, it can't do anything to that in any mode.

Tam

Tam/WB2TT wrote:
"Thomas A. Horsley" wrote in message
...
On most DVD players there is a setup
menu where you specify the type of TV the DVD player is connected to
(check the manual). In your case you want to set this to 16:9. Then
widescreen DVDs should automatically display correctly.

It is set to 16:9, but the TV (Sharp Aquos) still has something like four
different display modes it can operate in, and it definitely doesn't
automatically switch to the right one :-).
--
Yes and no. My Sharp works fine when set to Smart Stretch. It can't do
anything to a 16:9 picture; so, it just ignores the Smart Stretch option
when watching an HD source. 4:3 analog, 4:3 digital, and 16:9 all come in
full screen. Only thing is that when an HD station is transmitting a 4:3
program embedded in a 16:9 raster, it can't do anything to that in any mode.

Tam

Can't you zoom in that mode? (4:3 program embedded in a 16:9 raster)

Doesn't your tv have a "Bit for Bit" or a "Bit to Bit" setting? I just
set-up a new 45" Aquos and it had this option on the tv. That way,
whatever the dvd player sends gets displayed exactly like the dvd wants
it played. You do have to tell the dvd player to output 16:9 for your
widescreen tv.

"DanR" wrote in message
. com...


Tam/WB2TT wrote:
"Thomas A. Horsley" wrote in message
...
On most DVD players there is a setup
menu where you specify the type of TV the DVD player is connected to
(check the manual). In your case you want to set this to 16:9. Then
widescreen DVDs should automatically display correctly.

It is set to 16:9, but the TV (Sharp Aquos) still has something like
four
different display modes it can operate in, and it definitely doesn't
automatically switch to the right one :-).
--
Yes and no. My Sharp works fine when set to Smart Stretch. It can't do
anything to a 16:9 picture; so, it just ignores the Smart Stretch option
when watching an HD source. 4:3 analog, 4:3 digital, and 16:9 all come in
full screen. Only thing is that when an HD station is transmitting a 4:3
program embedded in a 16:9 raster, it can't do anything to that in any
mode.

Tam

Can't you zoom in that mode? (4:3 program embedded in a 16:9 raster)


No, it thinks it is already getting a 16:9 picture. I have a 37D5U.

Tam

"justsc" wrote in message
oups.com...
Doesn't your tv have a "Bit for Bit" or a "Bit to Bit" setting? I just
set-up a new 45" Aquos and it had this option on the tv. That way,
whatever the dvd player sends gets displayed exactly like the dvd wants
it played. You do have to tell the dvd player to output 16:9 for your
widescreen tv.

I have the DVD player set to 16:9, 480P, through component cables. That
works OK. I have to look at the bit for bit options. I thought that was for
connecting to a PC. I am using the built in tuners for cable and OTA. It is
a 37D5U.

BTW, my second cable card just self destructed. They go into a mode where
they start downloading a cable card firnware update. Only problem is that
the cable company is not transmitting any such information. There is no way
to make it stop, other than pulling the cable card. Plug it back in and it
starts up again.

Tam